Aloha!
The past couple months for me have been chaotic, and some of you have been bugging me for the story. And, I owe a bunch of you e-mails anyways…
So, if you’re getting this; you’re on my mailing list I’ve been putting together of people who mean a lot to me. If you can’t stand big-‘ol-emails like this, just e-mail me back and let me know and I’ll take you off.
As many of you know, I was working as an Art & Computers teacher in Harrisburg since I graduated in May. The school was a small one, which catered to inner city kids and gave them a free private education. The
school provided my food and housing, which was helpful. The work was mostly volunteer, because the pay was only about 168$ a month.
Around the middle of December, though, I had to leave, and immediately before Christmas vacation I found myself without a job, without any means of transportation (the motorcycle was broken), without any cash (my last paycheck going to student loans), and without food (the school provided that too).
Throughout January I searched desperately for work, sending out over 75 applications, doing odd jobs for extra cash, and even going to the blood bank for some money. And in the thick of it all, when I thought it could not get any worse, I found out I had to move out of the place I was staying. I had originally thought (and talked over with the landlord) that I might be able to stay if I just filled in the rent money that the school had provided. But this was not an option, and since someone needed to move in soon, I had to be out by the end of January.
I began calling around some of my friends, and Berte Thompson, my old boss from working at Messiah offered me a place to stay in the guest room of her house for a month or two. I gladly accepted.
Three more of my friends stepped foreword; Jessamine, Vinny and Tolu all offered storage space in their basements. So, with Tamika’s help and my former roommate Laux’s SUV, I was able to move everything out
by the end of January.
Tamika is the most fantastic girl I have every met, and I’m proud to say I she is my girlfriend. Some of you may know her from Messiah Gospel Choir, Lacrosse or Engineering. Her and I became best friends over the summer and in October decided our feelings for each other were of a deeper current.
Without her and her family’s help, I would have never been able to get through this. Where were my parents? My parents are missionaries in Northern Quebec, and are currently taking some time off in Connecticut so my sister can go to school. Times are hard for them too, since my dad has only been able to work part time; going up to Quebec every couple months.
Tamika lent me her car to find work, made sure I ate properly (despite my many protests that I could survive quite adequately on Ramen Noodles and Mac & Cheese), and provided me with more support than I thought was possible for one person to give to another. More than anyone else, she made me see that the only way to survive was by trusting God.
We joined Harambee United Church of Christ in Harrisburg mid-January, and from then on things began slipping into place.
Immediately after I moved to Berte’s, I got a call back from a Photography place I had applied to; a portrait studio called Lifetouch that does school portraits. They said they wanted me to start work immediately. There was one catch: I needed a car to transport the photography equipment from school to school.
I prayed, and took the leap.
Tamika let me borrow her car for the couple weeks, and by the end of that week I was able to buy a car with help from Tamika’s mother. I was able to find a silver & rust ’87 Toyota Corolla FX. I got it insured, and on the road just as soon as training for the photo job was over.
My first paycheck was last week. I was finally able to pay some bills, and start paying back the numerous friends who have lent me their assistance.
Life at Messiah, in retrospect, was easy.
I was able to life at Rafiki all 4 years.
I ate healthily the whole time, even when I didn’t have a meal plan.
I was able to get all my classwork done, and still have time to tear around on a moped, sleep in the grass, and be heavily involved in ISA.
I had a good job where I worked very hard to get to the top, and made lots of money (at least, a lot in my point of view).
I graduated with flying colours, I had gotten myself a new job, I had gotten myself a place to stay, I had even gotten a motorcycle so that I could enjoy myself.
I, I, I. I had done many things. Graphic Design, Photography, hundreds of extra curricular activities that I used to have fun and to grow as a person.
But this winter, God took everything I had away, (aside from blessing me with a girl who loves me like crazy) and just when I was at my deepest despair, I realized that I didn’t trust Him at all. I had relied completely on myself. I had accomplished many things, right? Made many friends, right? Why shouldn’t I feel proud of myself? In short, it made me not rely on God at all.
Once everything was gone, I found it was very tough. VERY very tough, simply to know where the next bite of food was coming from, or the next tank of gas, or the next good night’s sleep. I kept trying to do my best, to fix things, to stretch myself just so I could have the basic necessities. And I couldn’t.
Try as I might, I could not make ends meet. I was only when I gave up, and told God I’d trust him for whatever I needed that I got anything.
It was a tough lesson to learn.
But He’s taking care of me.
I have more good news!
This week I got a job as a Designer for Huggins Printing Company in Harrisburg. I had gone in printing place to print out a large dolphin poster I had designed for Tamika’s room to give to her for her birthday, and when I was done working out the details of how I wanted it printed, I asked them if they were hiring.
Chris Gustin, the CEO of the company, asked what I could do, and said he was very impressed by the poster, and if I would bring in my portfolio the next day. I said sure, and asked how much I owed him for the poster.
Chris told me not to worry about it, and just come back tomorrow.
The next day, after finishing my photography job, I came in to Huggins with my portfolio; in my haste forgetting to update my resume and to include as well.
As I walked through the door, a woman approached me and asked me if I was “the young man named Benjamin”. I cautiously said I was, and she introduced herself as Chris’ wife, Tammy, who worked in the Public Relations department of the company. She said she had heard good things from Chris about me, and hoped I would be brought aboard.
Chris was busy at the moment, so his father (and former CEO), Art, showed me around the place and boasted with pride all the things they were currently working on. “My son, Chris, he’s quite the boy when it comes to all the digital mumbo-jumbo.” He laughed heartily, “Me, I’m just around to poke fun and have a good time. If ya can work for Chris, ya can work for anybody. He’s a good guy. I’m a better judge o’ character, though*” He
winked broadly, and took me by the shoulder. “I’ll tell ya one thing,” he whispered, “Ya got me in your corner. I’m rootin’ for ya.” Rather taken aback, he gave me a shove into Chris’ office. I handed over my portfolio on the CD, and busied myself with watching the enormous printer they had slowly print out Tamika’s poster.
Chris grunted and muttered praises and approval as he went over my work. I wasn’t sure how to take him just yet, and if he really meant it.
Art came in to talk, and asked me where I was working now. I told them about my job with Photography, but explained that because it depended on the schools for pictures, that I would be out of the job in the
beginning of May.
I said I would be willing to leave the Photo job if I was given a much better offer, but would prefer to stay on for the time I had committed to for loyalty’s sake.
Art and Chris laughed, and Chris said that he’d give me a much better offer than the Photography job, including benefits, but that he’d wait until May “if he had to.”
All of a sudden Tammy rushed in, panic stricken. She needed an autograph page the Harrisburg Senators (the city’s baseball team) in the next hour.
Chris plopped me down in from of one of the Macs. “Alright,” He smiled, “Time for you to work off the price of that poster. Use any program you want, just get it done and make it look good.”
After recovering from my shock, I got to work, asking lots of questions and making sure I was doing what the client was looking for.
Tammy was shocked. Chris laughed. “You’re not used to having a designer actually listen to you are you?”
I finished the project on time, and by then it was closing time. Chris told me we’d talk the next day.
When I arrived, Chris was busy again, so Art sat me down in his office. He didn’t say much, but winked a couple times. When Chris was done, he began showing me through the Art department and explaining
how everything worked. And as a simple side note, he added, “Oh, and in case you were wondering, you’re hired.”
Inside, I was jumping around all over the place, but I restrained myself to a simple “Sweet!” He explained that the way it would work is that I would keep coming over after work like I had been doing and he would train me. He told me to log my hours, and he would pay me for them, and to get any books I wanted from Barnes & Nobles to help me learn about any programs I wanted and he would take care of the receipts.
And as if that wasn’t enough, that evening, I found a place to live.
Vinny, Tamika’s roommate, had seen some places right near their house while she was on her way to work, and one of them I was able to get. It’s the whole downstairs of a house with a basement and all utilities
except electricity included for 450$ a month!
My new address is:
Benjamin Jancewicz
350 Hummel Ave.
Lemoyne, PA 17043
I was able to move in right before Tamika and I left for Easter break
to see my parents, which is where I’m at right now!
Hope you’re doing well, and write back to me!
Much love,
~Benjamin